The Republic of Ireland had never won a major championship in football before 1998.

The highs of Euro '88, Italia '90, and USA '94 gave way to uncertainty and difficult self-reflection after disastrous results against Liechtenstein and Austria (twice) forced Jack Charlton's once-indomitable side into a ropey-looking playoff against a young, vibrant, and exciting Dutch team.

A Champions League-winning Ajax spine of van der Sar, Seedorf, and De Boer. Bergkamp, and Kluivert up top. Marc Overmars running mazes on the wings. Edgar Davids patrolling the centre. Danny Blind conducting it all from sweeper.

The Dutch were as insatiable that day as the Irish spirit was for the ten years previous. 2-0, Kliuvert hit both and they were on the way to Euro '96.

"In my heart of hearts, I knew I'd wrung as much as I could out of the squad I'd got – that some of my older players had given me all they had to give."

Jack Charlton was in no doubt. The era was over. Mick McCarthy came along, Macedonia happened, and Ireland needed to wait until 2002 to realise their dreams on the biggest stage again.

But the seeds of hope for that trip to Korea and Japan were sewn in the following three years, as the young boys in Green embarked on a historic trip to Malaysia in 1997 before unprecedented underage success in 1998, as two European underage titles were secured in the same summer.

"I’d had the idea for quite a few years but I hadn’t the tools to get it done and always assumed that someone else would do it," filmmaker Kevin Brannigan, one of the men behind a new documentary film about that golden age, Kerr's Kids, said.

"As the 20 year anniversaries were coming around things were falling into place for me, and along with producer Gary Lennon we submitted a bid to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and they accepted it – so it was full steam ahead after that."

Brannigan certainly makes a great point - it's amazing it's taken this long for this story to be told in full.

Kerr's Kids spotlights the work of Brian Kerr and the late Noel O'Reilly with the prodigious talents of those teams from '97 to '99, beginning with Kerr's shock exit from St Patrick's Athletic in 1996 to take over as the FAI's Technical Director.

As part of his job Kerr oversaw all squads from under-16 to under-20 as Manager, and he brought his close associate O'Reilly with him from the Saints.

Kerr took the under-19s to the World Youth Championships in 1997 - but to say not much was expected was something of an overstatement. Furthermore, Kerr brought along UCD's Aidan Lynch, Shelbourne's Dessie Baker, and Athlone's Trevor Molloy - three League of Ireland players, which was a surprise to many.

But Kerr backed up his forward-thinking mindset with his selections, as Molloy hit three goals in the tournament, starring alongside a shaggy-haired, electric Blackburn winger - a certain Damien Duff.

Ireland finished second in their group and dispatched of Morocco and Spain before an Argentina side led by Riquelme, Aimar, Romeo, Cambiasso, and Samuel combined with the Malaysian heat and the punishing schedule - six games in 15 days - to send them home with a respectable 1-0 defeat.

That would be nothing on 1998, though.

The under-16s - featuring Andy Reid, John O'Shea, and the late Liam Miller - went to Scotland and turned over Spain, Denmark, Portugal, and Italy to become European Champions.

The under-18s - the team of Robbie Keane, Stephen McPhail, Richie Partridge, Liam George, and Alan Quinn- brought home a second title on penalties against Germany.

"The environment Brian and Noel created for them - a caring one away from the brutal reality of apprentice life, away from friends and family - and the confidence they were given in their own ability, shows what an impact positive role models can have in your life.

"These lads don’t owe their careers to Brian and Noel. They came through at some massive clubs in England and through some really harsh environments to get to where they got to.

"But I think it can’t be taken away how pivotal it was to create a safe environment for them in the Irish camp, and also the confidence they would have got at being the best in their age group in Europe or coming third in the World."

Perhaps the best illustration of all was how easy it was to get in touch with all the major players.

Richard Dunne, Damien Duff, John O'Shea, Robbie Keane, Richie Sadlier, Stephen McPhail, Damien Delaney, Liam George, and Richie Ryan all feature as talking heads chronicling their life and times with the setup in those years.

"There was very little difficulty [in getting them to do the film]", Brannigan said.

"They all have so much loyalty to Brian and the memory of Noel.

"And for all of them, from the lads who have gone on to win Champions League or those who didn't have quite as glamorous careers – they all look back on those years with immense happiness and were more than willing to be involved."

Among all the names listed, perhaps none sticks out as regretfully as Liam George.

George, every bit as much a star up front as Robbie Keane then, was starring for Luton Town at the time, but persistent ankle injuries and a staggering 20 clubs across his nomadic career limited him from reaching the top-drawer ceiling of his then-partner.

But, having retired from the game in 2011, George now runs a successful physiotherapy business, and is just as glowing as the rest about his time with the setup as well as his life now.

"One of my favorite days during filming was spent with Liam George in Luton where he now has his own gym and physio practice.

"I thought he may be bitter towards the game or even in recalling those years, but he educated me, I suppose, towards what our notions of success are.

"Liam is extremely happy in life. It may not have worked out the same way in his football career as it did for Robbie Keane but his zen like approach to life was great to hear.

"It challenged my notions of success."

Kerr's Kids premieres this Monday at the Sugar Club in Dublin's city centre, at a pivotal point in time for the Ireland national sides throughout the age groups in 2018.

The under-17s enjoyed a summer of success at the Euros in England, only defeated after a heartbreaking penalty shoot-out loss to Holland. They'll be the hosts next year as the top European sides come to these shores. In many ways, it's a trial run for the bid for the 2023 under-21 Finals, which Ireland and Northern Ireland have submitted a joint-bid for.

The 19s have put in some extremely encouraging performances that have got the country talking. Three wins out of three, capped off by a 2-1 win against Holland, has them into the Elite round of qualifying for the European Championships next summer in Armenia. Three games away from a major tournament.

An exciting wave of new players are on the cusp. Names like Idah, Parrott, Obafemi, Ferry, Raghba, Bolger, Coventry, O'Connor, Kelleher, Bazunu, and Nolan are being talked up as the future in Green - and they're backing it up on the pitch too.

But the senior side seems caught at a perpetual crossroads after the damaging defeat to Denmark in the European Championship play-offs last November. Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane have had their authority openly challenged, every bad result bears an accompanying, inevitable sense of dread.

Fans fear another Macedonia. They fear another fallow period. But the best way to learn now is to look back.

Kerr's all-seeing role as Technical Director is now split up as every age-group side has its own manager, but Noel King just vacated the under-21s job, with a host of promising players-turned-coaches - Lee Carsley, Damien Duff, Robbie Keane - all linked with the role.

Kerr vacated the post in 2003 to take over the senior side, but was turfed out two years later. A total breakdown in his relationship with the association has seen him not return to any post on this island since he left Pat's in 2008.

The world lost O'Reilly in 2008. He continued his work with the FAI before being taken ill suddenly in September. He was just 60.

Ireland had a ten-year gap between Korea/Japan and their next qualification - Euro 2012.

Korea/Japan was the high-point for that generation - but far too few of them saw it for themselves. From the World Youth Championships side that ran Argentina close and knocked out Spain, only Duff and Glen Crowe saw senior action for Ireland.

The FAI were forward thinking in busting that complacency in 1996 when Kerr and O'Reilly came on board - and it's something Irish football needs to recapture.

And if there's one lesson Brannigan wants people to come away with, it's that football people in this country like Kerr need to be included and valued to ensure complacency is replaced by success.

"Football in the late 90’s was a totally different place," he says.

"The Premier League in England was still mainly a league comprised of players from Britain and Ireland.

"Today it’s a totally global league, where a lad from Tallaght with no formal football training would find it very hard to break through.

"The biggest thing I take from the documentary is that we rested on our laurels here. We thought the success of the late 90’s at youth level - Roy Keane captaining Manchester United to Champions League victory, the senior team with Duff and Keane qualifying for the World Cup in 2002. All these huge success. We thought that would last forever.